Hunting knife with skinning appliance

ABSTRACT

A tool, and a method using the tool, for skinning game animals. Specifically, the tool relates to a curved blade knife, sharpened on the curved, top edge, and possessing a spherical structure at the tip. The tool is used by forming a cut through the soft skin of a game animal, inserting the spherical structure through the cut, and pushing or pulling the blade such that the sharpened curved, top edge cuts through the skin and connective tissue. This tool and method takes advantage of the fact that because the spherical structure at the tip of the blade is retained inside the skin and connective tissue of the game animal, the blade is automatically properly positioned to cut the skin of the game animal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a tool, and a method using the tool,for skinning game animals. Specifically, the present invention relatesto a curved blade knife, sharpened on the curved, top edge, andpossessing a sphere at the tip. The tool is used by forming a cutthrough the soft skin of a game animal, inserting the spherical tipthrough the cut, and pushes or pulls the blade such that the sharpenedcurved, top edge cuts through the skin. This tool and method takesadvantage of the fact that because the spherical tip is partiallyretained inside the skin and connective tissue of the game animal, theblade is properly positioned to cut the skin and subordinate connectivetissue of the game animal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, the method of skinning a game animal after death is verygeneric: The hunter uses a knife to incise and remove the skin andunderlying connective tissue of the animal. The chief difficulty has todo with controlling the depth of the incision used to remove the skinand connective tissue. Such incisions tend to be long and shallow andare difficult to make using a straight bladed knife.

What is needed then is a knife with a spherical tip such that thespherical tip is retained beneath the connective tissue of the skin asthe knife is moved to incise the skin and connective tissue.

What is also needed is a knife where the top edge of the blade issharpened and the lower edge of the blade is unsharpened.

What is also needed is a knife with a concavely curved blade from tip tohandle.

What is also needed is a knife with a puncturing tip for making a holein the skin and connective tissue of the game animal.

Finally, what is needed is a method of using the above described knifeto skin a game animal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention is a skinning knife with a bladeand a handle both aligned lengthwise along a generally linear axis. Inone embodiment of the present invention, the handle is comprised ofexternal covers retained to the handle by means of screws. It will bereadily apparent, however, that these external covers may be integrallyformed along with the handle or may be adhesively or flexibly applied.For example, a textured rubber external cover may be flexibly applied tothe handle of the skinning knife.

The blade of one embodiment of the present invention is sharpened alongthe top edge. The bottom edge of the blade is unsharpened and flat orcurved in cross section for safety purposes. The sharpened top edge ofthe blade is concavely curved along its length from the handle to thetip. There is a spherical structure at the tip of the blade and apointed, piercing structure on the same side of the blade just in frontof the handle. The spherical structure is used to retain the tip of theblade in the puncture wound made where the skinning incision is tobegin.

The handle and the blade may be jointed or fixed. In the case where theyare jointed, the blade folds into the handle such that the sharpened topof the blade is insinuated inside the handle. In this case the sphericalstructure at the tip may be stored outside of the handle when the bladeis closed.

The knife is used in the following manner: First, if the blade isjointed, the blade is rotated out of the handle and allowed to lock intoa generally linear alignment with the handle. Next, the pointed piercingstructure just in front of the handle is positioned against the softskin of the game animal. Next the pointed piercing structure just infront of the handle is driven through the skin and connective tissueforming a puncture wound leading underneath the skin. Alternately, thisincision may be made with the tip of a separate knife. Next, the knifeand pointed piercing structure just in front of the handle are rotatedsuch that the spherical structure at the tip of the blade is positionedinside the game animal in the puncture wound formed previously. Next,the user pushes or pulls the blade using the handle incising the skinand connective tissue of the game animal. The spherical structure at thetip of the blade retains the tip of the blade at the proper depthunderneath the connective tissue to easily incise only the skin andconnective tissue. Next, when the incision has been completed, thespherical structure at the tip of the blade is removed from theincision. Finally, if the blade is jointed, the blade is rotated intothe handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view from the side of one embodiment of the knife of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the top of the tip towards the handleof one embodiment of the knife of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view from the side of one embodiment of the presentinvention showing how the invention is used to make an initial puncturewound in the skin and connective tissue of the game animal's skin.

FIG. 4 is a view from the side of one embodiment of the presentinvention showing how the invention is rotated to place the sphericalstructure at the tip of the blade inside the initial puncture wound inthe skin and connective tissue of the game animal and then pushed tocreate an incision thorough the skin and connective tissue of the gameanimal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 2, one embodiment of the present invention isa skinning knife 100 with blade 103 and handle 101 both alignedlengthwise along a generally linear axis. In one embodiment of thepresent invention, handle 101 is further comprised of external coversretained to the handle by means of screws 102. It will be readilyapparent that other fastening means may be used to attach the externalcovers, such as rivets or metal fixing posts hammered to form extrusionsover a portion of the cover. It will also be readily apparent that theseexternal covers may be integrally formed along with the handle or may beadhesively or flexibly applied. For example, a textured rubber externalcover may be flexibly applied to handle 101 of the skinning knife.

Blade 103 of one embodiment of the present invention is sharpened on thecurved top edge 104. Bottom edge 107 of blade 103 is unsharpened andflat or curved in cross section for safety purposes. Sharpened curvedtop edge 104 of blade 103 is concavely curved along its length from thehandle to the tip. Spherical structure 106 is positioned at the tip ofthe blade and pointed, piercing structure 105 is positioned just infront of handle 101. In one embodiment of the present invention pointed,piercing structure 105 is absent from the invention.

Handle 101 and blade 103 may be flexibly jointed or fixed. In the casewhere they are flexibly jointed, blade 103 folds into handle 101 suchthat sharpened curved top edge 104 and pointed, piercing structure 105of blade 103 are insinuated inside handle 101. In this case, sphericalstructure 106 at the tip may be stored outside of handle 101 when blade103 is closed inside of handle 101.

Turning now to FIGS. 1 through 4, skinning knife 100 is used in thefollowing manner: First, if blade 103 is flexibly jointed, blade 103 isrotated out of handle 101 and allowed to lock into a generally linearalignment with handle 101. Next, pointed, piercing structure 105 just infront of handle 101 is positioned against the soft skin of the gameanimal. Next, pointed, piercing structure 105 just in front of handle101 is driven through the skin and connective tissue (Arrow A) forming apuncture wound leading underneath the skin. Next, skinning knife 100 andpointed, piercing structure 105 just in front of handle 101 are rotated(Arrow B) such that spherical structure 106 at the tip of blade 103 ispositioned inside the game animal in the puncture wound formedpreviously. Next, the user pushes blade 103 using handle 101 (Arrow C)incising the skin and connective tissue of the game animal. Sphericalstructure 106 retains the proximal tip of the sharpened curved top edge104 of blade 103 at the proper depth captured underneath the connectivetissue to easily incise only the skin and connective tissue. Next, whenthe incision has been completed, spherical structure 106 at the tip ofskinning knife 100 is removed from the incision. Finally, if blade 103is jointed, then blade 103 is rotated into handle 101.

The present application explicitly includes all variants of the presentinvention readily apparent to a person having skill in the art. Forexample, spherical structure 106 at the tip of blade 103 may be formedin other cross-sections, including: 1) Ovoids; 2) Thickened plates; and,3) Internally sharpened hooks. Also, the blade of one embodiment of thepresent invention is constructed of steel, but those having skill in theart will recognize that other substances may be used including: 1)Carbon fiber; and, 2) Ceramic. Also, the specification calls out pushingblade 103 through the skin and subordinate connective tissue. Clearly,embodiments where blade 103 is pulled are equally well contemplated anddisclosed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A knife with a skinning appliance comprising atop sharpened blade with a spherically shaped structure at one end ofthe blade and a handle at the other end of the structure wherein the topsharpened edge is concavely formed further comprising an outwardlyaligned pointed structure near the handle on the top sharpened blade. 2.A knife with a skinning appliance of claim 1 further comprising a bottomunsharpened region of the blade.
 3. A knife with a skinning appliance ofclaim 1 further comprising rubber grips elastically formed to thehandle.
 4. A knife with a skinning appliance of claim 1 furthercomprising plastic grips elastically formed to the handle.
 5. A knifewith a skinning appliance of claim 1 further comprising grips that arescrewed to the handle.
 6. A method of using a knife with a skinningappliance of claim 1 comprising the steps of: a) piercing the skin andconnective tissue of a game animal with the outwardly aligned pointedstructure along the top of the blade; b) rotating the knife such thatthe spherically shaped structure at one end of the blade is positionedinside the skin and connective tissue of a game animal at the piercedpoint formed in the prior step; c) pushing or pulling the top sharpenedblade such that it incises the skin and connective tissue of the gameanimal while being partially restrained beneath the connective tissue;d) disengaging the spherically shaped structure from the incision andremoving the knife.